EU to demand more ‘green’ vehicles

By Emily Smith

Date: 01/12/05

Governments could soon have to make sure a quarter of the large vehicles they buy are environmentally friendly, according to a proposal expected from the European Commission next week (7 December).

The clean vehicles directive would impose strict standards for the type of fuel or engine used by 25% of vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes, when bought by public bodies, including governments, local authorities and the EU institutions.

The 3.5 tonne category, according to a draft of the directive seen by European Voice, will include "buses and most utility vehicles, such as garbage collection vans".

The directive does not, however, cover cars. Instead it "encourages" EU countries to "give preference" to cars meeting the most stringent Europe-wide standards for pollutants emissions.

The directive was originally supposed to be proposed two years ago but signs of strong opposition from member states and the car industry caused the Commission to delay it.

Commission spokesman Stefaan de Rynk said however the time was now ripe for the directive. "We need to create a market for clean vehicles and we feel that manufacturers are ready," he said.

At the moment, he explained, the higher cost of environmentally friendly cars "deters demand". It is a vicious circle, because the lack of demand then deters investment. Our key objective here is to create a market by stimulating demand".

For a large vehicle to meet the necessary environmental standards, it will have to use an "alternative" fuel, such as biofuels or hydrogen, or alternatively be an electric or hybrid vehicle.

For passenger cars, the latest EU standards for emissions of particulates, nitrate oxides and hydrocarbons came into force in January this year. There is no binding EU legislation on emissions of carbon dioxide, but the car industry has signed a voluntary agreement aiming to bring these down to 140 grammes per kilometre (g/km) by 2008.

Jos Dings of environmental transport group T&E said the decision not to include compulsory standards for cars in the directive was "a missed opportunity to push green car technologies. It's a big shame".

Article anticipates the adoption by the European Commission of a proposal for the so called Clean Vehicles Directive. The proposed Directive, expected to be presented on 7 December 2005, would impose strict standards for the type of fuel or engine used by 25% of vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes, when bought by public bodies, including governments, local authorities and the EU institutions.